Becky Lyne, Britain's leading woman over 800 metres who was named the country's female athlete of the year last October, is unlikely to be included when the selectors announce today the first wave of athletes for the team to compete in next month's world championships in Osaka.

Lyne finished third in last summer's European championships in Gothenburg but the combination of a back and calf injury, sustained while training in Australia at the start of the year, has meant there has been little chance of her building on the success in 2006.

In last weekend's world championships trials Lyne was left in an impossible position. She had raced only once all year, when she finished last of nine runners in the 800m at Sheffield almost two weeks earlier, and she would probably never have had the speed to make an impression on any domestic trials final.

Instead, the 25-year-old opted to gain strength and power in the 1500m - a gamble which could now see her miss the chance to race in Osaka. She finished fifth in the final over the longer distance, a brave but undistinguished run. However, had she chosen to compete in the 800m in Manchester she might have found herself in an even worse position.

Lyne's status, not only as one of the biggest names in the sport in Britain but as one of its best developing athletes, was illustrated when the women's 800m final was scheduled as the last race of the trials weekend. It was to prove a fitting finale, with Jemma Simpson, 23, from Newquay, digging deep to beat Marilyn Okoro and Jenny Meadows. It was Simpson's best run this season and the first three in the race all had qualifying times for Osaka.

Lyne's absence left the selectors with a dilemma but the word yesterday was that the Hallamshire Harrier might yet be given one more chance to prove herself in the London grand prix at Crystal Palace on Friday night before the final squad is named next week. Her appearance would ensure a thrilling race-off to finalise the three 800m places for Osaka.

Lyne's reputation will have provided selectors with a major problem when they met in Birmingham. UK Athletics has laid down the criteria of taking competitors to championships based not solely on them finishing in the first two at the trials. They have to have potential for making the podium in future years and Lyne has already achieved that standard in Gothenburg last year.

The Olympic Games in Beijing are 12 months away and gaining the experience of running in a world championships - even being knocked out in the first round - could ultimately prove important should they decide to take her.

You only have to listen to Mo Farah to understand. Last October he was next on to the stage when he was named the male athlete of the year, an honour which followed his outstanding second place in the 5,000m at those European championships. He ended 2006 by progressing to win the European Cross-Country championship.

But, nowadays, rarely does he complete an interview without expressing his excitement at Osaka being his first world championships, which he sees as important as a foundation for his career.

Farah does not expect to make any genuine challenge to trouble the leading Africans but what Britain's top long-distance athlete is aiming to gain is the know-how of being there. That sort of experience cannot be bought - and Lyne sitting at home could prove to be a wrong decision by selectors.

It is possible that when the first wave of names is announced today for the championships, which start three weeks on Saturday, the list may not be extensive, because of the series of injuries which have reached crisis point.

It means that Friday's meeting at Crystal Palace could become one of the most decisive internationals in Britain for years. The triple jumper Phillips Idowu will hope to be able to complete more than one jump, if his troubled back allows, and Tim Benjamin, Britain's former European No1 over 400m, knows the grand prix is likely to be his last chance to test his fitness.

Two years ago in Helsinki at the last world championships, Benjamin was the only British man to reach a track final. Part of the inquest into the 2005 failures led to the change in selection criteria. No one would be taken for the ride, but the journey could prove a worthwhile for Lyne in the years ahead if she makes the plane.

Selection headaches

Men's 100m Mark Lewis-Francis finished third in the trials; Simeon Williamson is the second fastest Briton this year but he missed the trials because of illness. Only one will be given the third place in the event

Men's 200m Marlon Devonish, right, won the trials on Sunday. He is in favour of running only the 100m as an individual event but few others have the 200m qualifying mark

Men's long jump Greg Rutherford, the European silver medallist from last summer, has jumped only once this season, when injury struck again in Tallinn

Women's 800m Jenny Meadows was narrowly beaten into third place in a tremendous 800m final but the selectors may eventually opt for Becky Lyne, the European bronze medallist